By: Nathan Bloechl — sports@kilj.com
Des Moines — It wasn’t the way Anthony Isley envisioned his start would go, but he made sure that his weekend ended with a bang anchoring Mediapolis’ Class 2A 4×400 relay team to a third place finish Saturday.
Isley started his weekend Thursday by scratching in all of his attempts in the 2A long jump.
He credited his teammates for keeping him up after a tough beginning to his first trip to state track.
“I owe it to my friends, they kept keeping me up, pumping me up. Once we started getting going, I was [excited] for all of our events.” Isley told KILJ.
He and Kaden Salek, Cole Lipper, Josh Darbyshire, Levi Arnold and Andrew McPherson comprised the Mediapolis sprint medley, 4×100, 4×200 and 4×400 teams that PR’d in all of their runs.
“These guys meant a lot to me, they’re all good people. [We] love each other.”
Isley took the stick with Mediapolis in sixth and promptly crushed an anchor leg of 50.15, which was the fourth-fastest split by any runner in the race.
“I just knew I had to get going, so I took off. I tried to pick it up and once I started passing people I got a lot of adrenaline” Isley explained.
Isley, who is in first state meet, was pleased with how things turned.
“I am just so happy we made it.“
Underwood was the 4×400 champion, running a 3:25.42.